Ball-bearing for harps.



W. I. KIRK.

BALL BEARING FOR HARPS.

APPLICATION H'LED DEC. 13. 1915.

' 1,269,718. Patented June 18, 1918.

UNITED STATES PATENT orFioE.

WALTER I. KIRK, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS, ASSIGNOR TO LYON & HEALY, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS, A CORPORATION OF ILLINOIS. i I

BALL-BEARING non Hears.

To all whom it may concern: I I

Be it known, that I, WALTER I. KIRK, a

citizen of the United States, residing at Chicago, in the county of Cook and State of Illinois, have invented a certain new and useful Improvement in Ball-Bearings for Harps, of which the following is a full,

clear, concise, and exact description, referto provide afreer and more easily operating harp action than heretofore; to avoid buzzing and-vibration of the spindles in their mountings; and to secure other desirable results as will hereafter appear.

In the accompanying drawings Figure 1 is an elevation of a harp having a portion of its neck broken away in order to show the action;

Fig. 2 is a vertical sectional view showing a spindle or shaft and bearing therefor forming part of an action embodying my invention;

Figs. 3 and 4 are views on an enlarged scale of the opposite ends of said spindle or shaft.

Referring to Fig. 1 I show a harp A of any suitable type or variety. Strings l1 are shown but these are not all the strings of the harp, the ones shown being an octave apart. At the harp neck I show the usual side plates 2, and between the mechanism for engaging strings an octave apart so as to sharp all of such strings by movement of a pedal 4 at the base of the harp. Inasmuch as the general features of construction of this pedal operated sharping mechanism are not involved in my present invention the same will not be further described. Each of such mechanisms, however, is provided with one or more spindles 5 extending between the side plates 2 and 3, as shown in Fig. 2, and supported at its ends in such side plates. My present invention relates to these spindles and the bearings by which they are supported in the side plates 2 and 3. It will be apparent, however, that the construction hereinafter set forth could be employed for other purposes.

Referring more particularly to Fig. 4: it will be seen that the spindle 5 is provided at one end with a collar 6, having an in- Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented. June 18, 1918'.

Application filed December 13, 1915. Serial No. 66,477.

clined tapering orconical surface 7; This. collar 6 is'preferably made separate from the spindle '5 and fitted over a reduced end portion 8 of the latter. The part of thereduced portion 8 projecting beyond'thecollar 6 is preferably threaded as at 9. A disk 10 is fitted over the screw threaded end 9, being provided with a threaded socket by which it may be-secured upon the end 9.

This disk 10 is provided with pins or fingers 1 11 which are understood to be the string engaging pins or fingers adapted to engage the strings so as to sharp the same. As a bearing arrangement',-the side plate 3 is provided with an aperture which is recessed or enlarged sufficiently to receive an annular cup-shaped device 12 having its inner portion bent or extended inwardly as at 13 so as to form an annular ball race. Balls 14 are fitted within the member 12 and between the same and the collar 6, so that the balls form a ball bearing for said collar. A small washer 15 is fitted into the outer or upper end of the member 12 so as to close the same and thereby hold the balls in position and kee out dust and dirt. Thus it will be seen that a ball bearing construction is provided which is exceedingly simple and in-- spindle. The entire ball bearing construction, it will be seen, is on the inner side of the plate 3 so that it is notvisible upon the outer side thereof. A screw 20 passes through the disk 10 into the end of the reduced portion 8, the threads of the portion 9 andof the pin 20 being of opposite character, one being right handed and the other left handed.

Fig. 3 shows the bearing for the other end of the spindle 5. This end of the spindle 5 is preferably provided with a small reduced end portion 16 which fits into a socket 17 which is screwed into the plate 2. A sprin 18 is fitted in the socket member 17, an the reduced end 16 fits against said spring 18, said spring pressing against the end 16 so as to hold the spindle 5 snugly in the ball bearing at the other end of said spindle,

It will be understood that changes and modifications may be made without departing'from the spirit of the invention.

- of said collar being substantially flush with the sides of said plate, a member for engaging h'arp strings mounted on the reduced end portion of said spindle projecting beyond said collar and serving to clamp the collar in position, and an anti-friction bearing mounted in said plate and cooperating with said cone shaped collar.

2. The combination with the side plates of a spindle 5 extending between the same, said spindle having a reduced end portion 8 provided with a threaded portion 9, a collar 6 mounted upon the reduced end portion 8 and of substantially thewidth of the end plate 8, a disk 10 provided with a threaded socket adapted to fit over the threaded end portion 9, said disk 10. having a hub portion adapted to fit against the outer end of the collar 6, said collar 6 having its inner end adapted to fit against the relatively WALTER I. KIRK. Witnesses:

A. LYDA JoNns, HAZEL ANN JONES.

copiel 0! this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the "Commissioner of Patents,

Washington, 1-0. 

